Donna Hargadon, executive secretary from the Neptune Township Superintendent of Schools Office, confirmed via voicemail that Fagan will indeed become the Scarlet Fliers new coach for the 2014-2015 season after the Neptune Township Board of Education approved him via a 7-0 vote with two abstentions late Tuesday night at the Board of Education meeting.

Fagan, who completed his sixth season at Jackson Memorial after the 2013-2014 season, had a record of 114-50 including a 22-7 record this past winter. He most recently won Class A South division titles in the 2011-12 and the 2013-2014 seasons.

Fagan was Mooij's second recommendation for the job after the Board of Education first rejected incumbent coach Ken O'Donnell, Mooij's first recommendation, via a 6-3 vote on Tuesday night.

The Board of Education's decision means O'Donnell, who has been at the helm since 1991 and re-applied for the job this year, will not return for his 24th season as the varsity boys basketball coach.

O'Donnell, who had a combined career record of 570-189 from coaching both the Neptune varsity boys basketball team (340-147 from 1991 to the present) and varsity girls basketball team (230-42 from 1981-1990), was denied a chance to return after a motion to approve him was rejected. More than 50 people were in attendance, many of whom spoke in favor of retaining O'Donnell during the public comment portion of the meeting prior to the votes.

The Board of Education then went into executive session after the O'Donnell vote and returned a short time later to ask Mooij for his second recommendation.

"I want to thank all the people that supported me and this decision is a bit of a surprise," said O'Donnell, who spoke via telephone after the meeting. "I'm a little disappointed by the way I was treated (by the Board of Education) after being there (at Neptune) for over 40 years and of course playing for Neptune High School."

When asked about the decision to not re-hire Ken O'Donnell after the meeting, Board of Education president Jason A. Jones, had the following to say to the Neptune Township community.

"I would hope that the community respects the decision by the board and that we move forward as a community united," Jones said.

Jones further declined to comment on anything else regarding the decision, including a question about how many people applied for the job.

Prior to the start of the board meeting, a posting on the bulletin board inside the Shark River Schools gymnasium listed O'Donnell as the superintendent's recommendation for the job at a coaching stipend of $10,326.

O'Donnell is the commissioner of the Jersey Shore Basketball League. He also runs a high school summer league at the Hoop Group Headquarters not too far from Neptune High School and directs the Belmar Basketball Summer Festival, an outdoor summer league in Belmar. He's been invested in Neptune basketball since playing for the Scarlet Fliers from 1964-68 and later became the head varsity girls basketball coach in 1981 and the head varsity boys basketball coach in 1991 until Tuesday night.

Bill King, a Neptune graduate and one of O'Donnell's biggest supporters, was vehemently against the Neptune Board of Education replacing O'Donnell.

"Ken O'Donnell has been an iconic Hall of Fame basketball coach at his alma mater and leader in the Jersey Shore basketball community for decades. He's everything and more that a school system could hope for in a teacher and coach. His winning percentage (75 percent) and 43 championships (over various tournaments in boys and girls basketball) speak volumes," King said. "He not only substantially increased the existing 'Tradition of Champions' that is Scarlet Flier basketball, he tagged the program with that moniker. Additionally, what he imparted to the young men that had the privilege of being coached by him, in terms of character, discipline and community involvement will serve them well throughout their lives."